Wood burning stoves — what are the merits? What demerits?

[sandGroundZero]

local, The PNP slug it out!

[Derek H]

local, The PNP slug it out!

Why start a thread for this? They have been at it for ages. The one politely and stubbonly defending his own workplace and the other stubbonly and inpolitely attacking from all angles and at all levels (from the guttter up).
Surely a special thread is more than anyone wants?

[sandGroundZero]

Why start a thread for this? They have been at it for ages. …Surely a special thread is more than anyone wants?

The pair talk (i.e. post) past each other. There seems little scope for resolution and neither appears to allow the other the last word. Hopefully, they'll migrate to this thread and leave the others alone.
Live and hope.

[Alikado]

Why start a thread for this? They have been at it for ages. The one politely and stubbonly defending his own workplace and the other stubbonly and inpolitely attacking from all angles and at all levels (from the guttter up).
Surely a special thread is more than anyone wants?

It has the benefit of keeping all the crap in one corner so the rest of us can completely ignore the whole thread.

[The PNP]

local, The PNP slug it out!

Well, I'm game...


Merits:

* These stoves use a carbon-neutral fuel (provided it originates from an FSC approved suppler). Th term 'carbon neutral' means that the fuel produces NO NET INCREASE in atmospheric CO2. FSC timber is grown on plantations and cropped in rotation, as most crops are.....For every tree removed, a replacement tree is planted. In other words, the total number of trees growing on any one plantation remains the same.

* Modern DEFRA (Govt.) approved stoves (the type we sell) are low emission and can therefore be used with confidence in all smokeless zones.

* Models are available in a wide range of styles, from the ornate and traditional to the ultra-modern. With a suitable stove, it's possible to not only heat a room, but to also satisfy a dwellings domestic hot water and central heating needs. This type of stove can be linked into an existing gas-powered system, providing the user with flexibility of fuel choices. I.e the ability to control a gas boiler remotely, then save gas once back home by lighting the stove.

* Last but not least. On a cold and windy winters night with the rain hammering down outside, there are few things better. Imagine relaxing in that favourite armchair, ensconced in the warm comforting glow of a real woodstove.

De-merits:

* Initial financial outlay.
* Some disruption during installation.
* Stoves require fuelling, i.e. feeding periodically with logs.
* The ashpan will require emptying.
* Flue must be swept at regular intervals.
* Sour grapes from envious types.

[local]

Why start a thread for this? They have been at it for ages. The one politely and stubbonly defending his own workplace and the other stubbonly and inpolitely attacking from all angles and at all levels (from the guttter up).
Surely a special thread is more than anyone wants?

Why do you support a hypocrite who pedals ill health and environmental destruction ?

[local]

local, The PNP slug it out!

What's your opinion ?

[local]

It has the benefit of keeping all the crap in one corner so the rest of us can completely ignore the whole thread.

He stops being faux green and I stop pulling him up on his hypocrisy.

[sandGroundZero]

What's your opinion ?

Flip a coin to determine who gets the last word.

Failing that, acknowledge that you're both talking past one another. Your incessant bickering is tiresome. You and your adversary The PNP then agree to confine yourselves to this thread for ever more; certainly when the topic is wood burning stoves.

[said]

Flip a coin to see who gets the last word.

Else, accept that you're both talking past one another, boring the pants off everyone with your incessant bickering and confine yourselves to this thread for ever more.

Final points:

Pros

• The net fuel cost is cheaper than heating oil, natural gas, or coal.
  
• Woody biomass can be grown and purchased locally, thereby benefitting local economies.
  
• Fuel (in the form of logs, wood chips, brush clippings, grasses, and lumber yard waste) is widely available, renewable, and sustainable.
  
• Fuel prices are relatively stable.
  
• Pellet stoves, which burn pellets made of compressed woody biomass, are relatively non-polluting and are approved by the EPA.
  
• With proper engineering, wood-burning systems emit fewer pollutants into the air than coal and oil.
  
• Over its lifecycle, biomass is a carbon-neutral fuel source.
  
• Using forest wastes improves forest health. By removing deadfalls from the forest, the practice can reduce forest-fire hazards.

Cons

• Constant use requires a continuous supply of logs, wood chips or other biomass.
  
• Wood systems require more space to store bulky fuel.
  
• Waste ash that remains after burning needs proper, safe disposal.
  
• Most pellet stoves and sealed fireplaces require some electricity to operate circulating fans.
  
• The upfront, capital cost of building a sizeable wood energy facility can be high; it can take years to realize any savings.
  
• Compared with conventional gas or oil boiler systems, wood systems require a larger boiler to handle the fuel.
  
• Automated wood chip conveyor systems and fuel-handling equipment must be monitored closely to prevent jams and system shutdowns.
  
• Wood chip fuel varies by size, moisture content, and energy content. Standard un-dried, or “green,” fuel contains 30 to 55% water, which slows combustion.
  
• Equipment to dry wood chips and improve efficiency is very expensive. Note: dry wood is highly flammable and requires a sophisticated boiler system.
  
  https://www.thespruce.com/pros-and-c...ystems-1182524

[seivad]

Final points:

Pros

• The net fuel cost is cheaper than heating oil, natural gas, or coal.
• Woody biomass can be grown and purchased locally, thereby benefitting local economies.
• Fuel (in the form of logs, wood chips, brush clippings, grasses, and lumber yard waste) is widely available, renewable, and sustainable.
• Fuel prices are relatively stable.
• Pellet stoves, which burn pellets made of compressed woody biomass, are relatively non-polluting and are approved by the EPA.
• With proper engineering, wood-burning systems emit fewer pollutants into the air than coal and oil.
• Over its lifecycle, biomass is a carbon-neutral fuel source.
• Using forest wastes improves forest health. By removing deadfalls from the forest, the practice can reduce forest-fire hazards.

Cons

• Constant use requires a continuous supply of logs, wood chips or other biomass.
• Wood systems require more space to store bulky fuel.
• Waste ash that remains after burning needs proper, safe disposal.
• Most pellet stoves and sealed fireplaces require some electricity to operate circulating fans.
• The upfront, capital cost of building a sizeable wood energy facility can be high; it can take years to realize any savings.
• Compared with conventional gas or oil boiler systems, wood systems require a larger boiler to handle the fuel.
• Automated wood chip conveyor systems and fuel-handling equipment must be monitored closely to prevent jams and system shutdowns.
• Wood chip fuel varies by size, moisture content, and energy content. Standard un-dried, or “green,” fuel contains 30 to 55% water, which slows combustion.
• Equipment to dry wood chips and improve efficiency is very expensive. Note: dry wood is highly flammable and requires a sophisticated boiler system.
  
  https://www.thespruce.com/pros-and-c...ystems-1182524

The EPA is a dead giveaway! Your final points apply to the US, not the UK. I don't think that woody biomass is grown and purchased locally in the UK. Wood pellets are also imported, mainly from the US and Canada.

[*concerned*]

What I don't understand is folks buying 'kiln dried' wood for their burners?

I accept somewhat burning a chunk of wood in an approved burner could be carbon neutral, assuming you get the logs yourself locally in a hand cart, but to buy imported kiln dried wood cannot never be carbon neutral!

[Derek H]

Why do you support a hypocrite who pedals ill health and environmental destruction ?

The answer to your qustion can be read in what I wrote and you quoted!
I.e.:
Why start a thread for this? They have been at it for ages. The one politely and stubbonly defending his own workplace and the other stubbonly and inpolitely attacking from all angles and at all levels (from the guttter up).
Surely a special thread is more than anyone wants?

It isn't difficult to understand, It's just a matter of good manners or no manners whatsoever.

[Nick2]

Why start a thread for this? They have been at it for ages. The one politely and stubbonly defending his own workplace and the other stubbonly and inpolitely attacking from all angles and at all levels (from the guttter up).
Surely a special thread is more than anyone wants?

Shouldn't that be "stubbornly" Derek?

[Derek H]

Shouldn't that be "stubbornly" Derek?

Of course. My mistake. Sorry folks!